Data storage operations, for example, with respect to data storage media such as magnetic tape data storage cartridges, can become complex, comprising multiple interleaved read and write functions, for example, to different data files stored at different locations. The operations are conducted by data storage drives in response to host commands. The data storage drives may be subject to possible sudden failure due to hardware, software or power events. Such an event may leave the data storage media in an unknown state, for example, at an intermediate point is a series of interleaved write/read functions. The data files may be inconsistent among themselves if at the point of failure some data files have been updated, while others have not. Tracking the operations by the data storage drives is not fail safe because the tracking information may be incomplete or corrupted during the failure event.